Assessments - 3, GPA: 5
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bass, mid and treble, master volume and presence ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Series effects loop with level and bypass switch OPTIONS: None RANGE OPTIONS: 1959 SLP head (£999), 1987X head (£804), 1962 'Bluesbreaker' combo (£1.038), JTM45 head (£784), 2203ZW Zakk Wylde signature model (£1,023) Marshall Amplification Marshall 2203 JCM800 reissue head For those about to rock, we salute the return of Marshall’s master volume monster amp It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, as the saying goes. When Marshall were forced to temporarily withdraw their vintage reissue series of amplification following the introduction of new EC legislation, the outcome could have been a hasty redesign to comply with new regulations and get the affected products shipping again. However, the Bletchley-based company decided to step back for a while and re-evaluate things, as Marshall's Paul Hayhoe explained. “The vintage series is just as important to us as it is to our customers. It’s our history at the end of the day. We took the opportunity to refine the existing range, to get the amps even closer to l hat 'golden tone’ of the originals. And, following a deluge of requests, we expanded the range to include a few more old favourites. The JCM800, of course, was top of the list.” The original 2203 was introduced in 1975, but the actual JCM800 version of the 2203 - basically a cosmetic update with fretcloth on the baffle, the full- MARSHALL JCM800 >T RESULTS Build quality Features Sound ★ ★★★ Value for money ★ ★★ The best JCM800 tone ever, with extra versatility from the effects loop It would have been nice to see a plated board on this reissue width front panel and other differences like white piping, large Marshall logo and JCM800 on the front panel as well as Jim Marshall’s signature - was introduced in 1981. The master volume layout allowed control of preamp gain, which gave the new amp a distinctively aggressive rasping bite that tied in perfectly with the musical changes taking place on both sides of the At lant ic. For American thrash and grunge, as well as the so-called new wave of Brit heavy metal, the JCM800 could do no wrong. Internally, it’s good to see Marshall have stayed as true as possible to the original. The cabinet is lock-jointed birch ply, with a slab of perforated steel to protect the valves, and inside is a solid steel chassis with welded corners. All the valves and power supply capacitors are chassis mounted, as are the two transformers and the choke - a transformer-like component used to remove AC ripple from the DC supply. The rest of the circuitry is mounted on a single-sided PCB with flying leads to front and rear panel controls. The PCB isn’t through-plated, which may be historically accurate, but it would have been a bonus to see a plated board on this re-issue. Because of the layout there’s a lot more hand-wiring than a modern Marshall. It’s been executed to an acceptable standard, even t hough we'd like to have seen more t wists in the wires that carry the AC heater supply on this sample. These minor gripes aside, the build quality is as solid as you’d expect, which means this amp can happily withstand anything that life on the road might dish out to backline gear. The front panel controls couldn't be easier to navigat e, with just a row of six knobs for bass, mid, treble, presence, gain and master volume, plus a pair of input jacks to handle high and low output instruments. Around the back there are the familiar voltage and impedance changer switches, and a pair of speaker outlets. This is also where you'll find the only deviation from the original model: a series effects loop with switehable levels which has now been added to all the reissue amps. “This is by far the most common mod you’ll find on older Marshalls," Hayhoe commented. “For absolute tonal aut henticity, we’ve included a bypass switch which completely removes the loop from the signal path." SOUNDS: Talking of which, how good does this reissue sound, and how does it fare against the original? Well, let’s start off by saying that a JCM800 doesn’t do subtlety. Imagine carving up a grand piano with a very big chainsaw and you’re beginning to get the picture. It’s the amplification equivalent of a Rottweiler with titanium teeth and comes with a rebellious tone which defined rock guitar for the eighties. Clean sounds'? Don’t make us laugh. 74 Guitarist august 2002 Internally, it’s good to see Marshall have stayed as true as possible to the original. The cabinet is lock-jointed birch ply, with a slab of perforated steel to protect the valves, and inside is a soRd steel chassiswith welded corners • ; PHOTOGRAPHY GAVIN ROBERTS MARSHALL 2203 JCM800 REISSUE £950 GUITAR AMPS Z CD TRACKS 8-10 /rtfj/s / . WW// A Y'u' y,U • • Built like a tank-and just as loud! But now there’s an fx loop too The rivals Laney GH100L £399 Peavey Triple XXX E999 Cornford MK50H €1.199 Laney's GH100L delivers a lot of...